The Crystal
by HieiYYH
Summary: Spirit World is about to go out of balance without the magical crystal that keeps it together. Can Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama make it in time before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

"You're here too, Kurama?" Yusuke asked as he walked to Spirit World's front entrance with Kuwabara behind him.

Kurama turned to them and said, "I was summoned by Koenma as well. I'm not sure why."

"It's got to be something big if we're all here," Kuwabara replied.

The doors opened to Koenma's office. He sat in front of them behind his desk, stoic as usual. "Come in," he insisted, "I called all three of you here today because I need your help. Once every millenium a-"

Yusuke asked, "How long is that?"

"1,000 years," Kurama replied.

Koenma said, "Listen to me! Once every 1,000 years Spirit World slightly destabilizes."

Kuwabara asked, "What does that mean?"

"Souls are very fragil," he explained, "even here in Spirit World. If this destabilization happens to the point of no return, souls will start to disappear and sease to exist. It's imparitive we get it back on track."

Yusuke asked, "And how do we do that?"

Koenma shouted, "If you'd shut up and listen to me I'd tell you!"

Kurama said, "The Spirit Crystal, right? The one on top of Hendorei Mountain here in Spirit World."

"And what the hell is that?" Yusuke asked, looking at Kurama.

Koenma explained, "Hendorei Mountain only allows humans that don't have ill-intentions to enter. Anyone who has bad intentions or is a demon will be purified on the spot, it's quite a painful process. To be honest, you could probably use Hiei's jagan to help seek out it's exact location but he's a demon and he has bad intentions. He wouldn't be able to get within 1,000 yards of the barrier without feeling sick, let along make it to the mountain."

"So shorty can't come with us," Kuwabara replied, "so what? Wait, isn't Kurama a demon?" He looked at him.

"He has a human body," Koenma replied, "so he should be fine. To be honest, I'd rather a larger group go together-"

Yusuke said, "But all you have is us. I get it."

Koenma replied, "All you need is a small sliver of the crystal, nothing more. Bring it back here and I'll restore Spirit World to it's rightful balance."

"So, where is this mountain we're supposed to climb?" Yusuke asked.

* * *

"Anyone else feel that?" Yusuke asked as he walked along the trail in Spirit World.

"You better believe it!" Kuwabara replied, "The air, it's like everything nice and wonderful hugging us at once. It's amazing!"

Kurama looked around and said, "Yes, it is interesting."

Yusuke said, "Mind telling us more about this place? Koenma didn't tell us much."

"To be honest," Kurama replied, "I've never been in this part of Spirit World before, but I have heard of it in legends before. Judging by how pure the air is around here I would have been too ill to continue already as Yoko Kurama. This is actually one of the main reasons regular humans can't know about Spirit World."

Kuwabara asked, "What do you mean?"

"The Spirit Crystal is said to cure any illness," he explained, "and to allieviate any pains, to cure everything in it's true form. Humans with good intentions would come flocking to this place, it's why the air is so pure, so demons can't try to do the same thing. To try and cure death somehow." He looked around at the strange landscape of large rocks and small hills surrounding the path they walked on.

Yusuke said, "Trying to cure death, huh, that does sound like a bad idea once you actually stop to think about it." He stopped and looked up.

"Whoa," Kuwabara said, "Is that Hendorei Mountain?" He looked up at the tall, pointy rock face in front of them with another smaller mountain in front of it, a path leading up the sides of it.

Kurama replied, "It fits the description I've always been told. The barrier should be around her somewhere."

Kuwabara started walked again and said, "What barrier? I'd sense something like that if there was one-hey." He walked through something completely see-through.

"I don't feel any different," Yusuke said, "must be a crappy barrier."

Kurama stayed back and said, "No, this is what truely filters out demons."

"I thought Koenma said demons wouldn't be able to get near the barrier," Kuwabara said.

"If I were still a demon," Kurama replied, "standing right here would make me feel quite sick, but I'd still be able to move. Walking through the barrier would mean instant purification." He hesitantly walked through the barrier and felt a sharp pain move across his eyes for an instant before going away.

Yusuke asked, "You alright?"

"Fine," he answered, "for now anyway."


	2. Chapter 2

As they walked down the path, Yusuke said, "Koenma didn't exactly tell us where this crystal was. Good thing there's a path."

"The legend says," Kurama explained, "that at the top of Mount Hendorei there will be a shrine. Inside is a large blue crystal floating in mid-air."

"Floating?" Kuwabara asked, "Well this is Spirit World, weird stuff like that is probably normal here. Whoa." He looked at the small mountain in front of them and saw the path leading into a cave. "Should we go in?" he asked.

Yusuke said, "I don't really see a way around it. Let's go." He walked into the dark cave.

As they kept walking, Kurama started to lag behind. It felt as if all of the energy was slowly draining out of him. _I can't turn back now, I'll get lost,_ he thought, _I have to keep moving forward at their pace._ "You feel that Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked, "It's like I'm getting stronger with each step." He felt his aura and let it light the way.

"If you're getting stronger I have to be too," Yusuke said, "damn, look at that!" He made himself glow white.

"Careful," Kurama said, shielding his eyes, "pay attention to the path."

"Kurama chill out," Kuwabara replied as he walked backwards, "don't you feel any different?" He started stumbling and pulled himself forward. "Whoa!" he shouted and looked at the huge gap in front of them to the next part of the path.

Yusuke looked down and said, "Damn that's a long way down, I can't even see the bottum."

Kurama stepped forward and said, "We need to go further. Hold on." He pulled out a rose from his hair and tried transforming it, only for painful shocks to electrocute his arm. "I can't access my demon energy here."

"Why not try spirit energy?" Kuwabara asked.

"It's not strong enough," he replied.

"Kuwabara," Yusuke said, "can't you make your sword in something else, like a spirit bridge or something?"

"I've never tried," he confessed and conjured his sword. He made it grow and connect to the otherside, made it flatter and put up sides to it so they would walk across safely.

* * *

"Damn that took way longer than I thought it would," Yusuke said as they exited the cave, "and look, we still have a whole damn mountain to climb in front of us. What the hell!"

Kuwabara looked up and said, "And here I thought all this time we were actually making progress. We're practically where we started before we entered the cave."

"You're tell me?" Yusuke asked, then looked behind him to see Kurama struggling out of the cave to sit down on the ground outside. "You alright?" he asked.

"You don't look too good Kurama," Kuwabara said nervously, "you're really pale."

Kurama said, "Redheads are naturally quite pale, Kuwabara."

Yusuke kneeled in front of him and said, "Kuwabara's right, you look awful. What's the matter?"

"I still have a demon soul, Yusuke," he answered, "Hendorei Mountain must not want me here. You have to keep going."

"We're can't just leave you here," Kuwabara said, "we're not leaving anyone behind and we had to use my spirit sword a bunch of time in the cave, so there's no way you can go back on your own."

Yusuke said, "Kuwabara, take him back to Koenma."

"No," Kurama said, "the path ahead could be treacherous. Strength lies in numbers." He struggled to his feet. "I can still walk, I'll be alright." _I can't make myself a burdan,_ he thought.

* * *

As they continued to walk up the path up the mountain, Kurama felt more shocks through his arms and legs, making it harder for him to keep up and continue. He was right however, since there were several places in the path that Kuwabara's spirit sword came of use it was a good thing they didn't turn back.


	3. Chapter 3

"This is the fourth time," Kuwabara said as he looked at the large break in the path, "it's supposed to be a path, not an obstacle course." He made his spirit sword again and made another bridge out of it.

As Yusuke crossed he looked up and asked, "Are we even halfway up this thing yet?"

"It's an illusion," Kurama said as he felt a pang of elecriticity run through him, "we're closer than you think, believe me, it's all in the legends." After he was done crossing he sat on the ground.

Kuwabara asked, "Can you still walk?"

"I need a break," he replied without looking up.

"Kurama," Yusuke said nervously as he kneeled beside him, "don't push yourself if you don't have to."

Kuwabara leaned over them and said, "Maybe someone should stay behind with you since you can't move any farther. It only takes one person to get some part of a crystal, right?"

"No," Kurama answered, "separating now would be dangerous. There are creatures that lurk in Spirit World that pray on the weak and even Yusuke's power might not stop them." He struggled to his feet.

"I guess that means we have no choice," Yusuke said, "let's move."

* * *

They rounded the final corner of the path together and saw a large shrine carved out of the mountain. Kurama hugged himself as electrical pain ran through his arms and legs. Kuwabara said, "The air is so pure."

"Yeah it's like cotton candy or something," Yusuke replied, then looked back and saw Kurama struggling to move. "Hey-"

"Keep going," Kurama said, "go inside, I'll be there in a moment." He took a step forward and stopped as more pain pulsed through him.

Kuwabara opened the door wide into a dark room. "Hello?" he called, "Anyone here? I don't see any weird floating crystals."

"Walk in," Kurama explained, "and close the door behind you." He stepped up the stairs behind him slowly.

Yusuke and Kuwabara waiting until Kurama was inside before closing the doors. The room suddenly turned to bright light blue color. Kurama grunted in pain and laid on the ground as pain coursed through his veins. "Welcome," a deep voice said.

"Who's talking?" Kuwabara demanded as he stared at the floating giant blue crystal in front of them.

"It's the crystal," Kurama said painfully, "it's the one speaking."

"Kurama!" Yusuke shouted as he turned around and saw him on the ground.

"Silence," the crystal demanded, "I'm surprised a demon like yourself could even make it this far. You might be human now, but in the past you had terrible evil intentions. I cannot allow you to move on step closer!" Electrical pain ripped through Kurama as he screamed in pain.

Yusuke asked, "What the hell?"

"He's with us," Kuwabara said, "and we're here to make sure Spirit World stays in balance or whatever. We need part of your crystal!"

The crystal said, "You do not demand such things from me, didn't Yama tell you anything?"

"Actually," Yusuke said, "it was Koenma, his son, that sent us. What are you doing to Kurama?"

"Attempting to purify him," it replied, "but I will admit, this is taking longer than it usually does."

"Kurama tell him who you are," Yusuke said, "that you're not a demon anymore."

"He's in too much pain to talk," the crystal said.

Kuwabara conjured his sword and said, "All we need is one tiny stone for all of Spirit World and we didn't come all the way here for you to try to kill Kurama."

"Spirit gun!" Yusuke shouted as he fired a blast at it. "Got it!" Just as it appeared the blast went through him and hit the otherside of the wall, they saw the crystal float out of the way in time.

Kurama warned, "Don't attack." He tried to get back up only to fall again. "It can move," he said painfully, "on it's own."

"You can still move," the crystal said, "interesting."

"He doesn't have ill-intentions anymore," Yusuke replied, "that's why your little magic doesn't completely work. He came here with us from Koenma to make sure the world stays in balance."

"Is that so?" it asked, and then most of the pain in Kurama started to lighten up, just enough for him to move on his own.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurama slowly stood up and braced himself against the pain as he explained, "You're not wrong. There was a time I had bad intentions and really did want to steal the Spirit Crystal but I haven't been that person in years." He collapsed onto the ground again.

"Did you hear that?" Kuwabara demanded.

"Yeah," Yusuke said, "you heard the man."

"Silence," the crystal demanded, "I heard what he said and I can understand his intentions. However, the atmosphere must be making him extremely ill. There isn't anything I can do about that no matter how good his intentions may be."

Kurama said painfully, "Get the crystal. Don't worry about me."

The crystal said, "I will grant all of you permission to take from me. Go ahead, chop off a piece."

"From you?" Kuwabara asked.

"Yeah," Yusuke replied, "where else would it come from. Come on Mr. Swordsman, cut off a piece of the magic crystal and we can get the hell out of here." He looked back at Kurama who was sitting on the ground, breathing hard.

Kuwabara walked up to the Spirit Crystal with his sword still drawn and sliced a piece off of it. "Okay, let's go," he turned back around after putting it in his pocket.

"Kurama come on," Yusuke said.

"I can't get up," Kurama confessed as he looked up at him.

* * *

"We're out of the shrine," Yusuke said as he carried Kurama on his shoulder, "Can you move on your own?"

"I need to rest," Kurama said as he sat on the ground.

"Take your time," Yusuke replied as he kneeled beside him.

Kuwabara said, "Yeah, we got the stone. I'm sure Spirit World can wait a few minutes." He took the stone out of his pocket and examined it in his hand.

Kurama explained, "The longer we stay here the worse it gets. If I'm on this mountain much longer then I could become completely immobile forever." They both gasped.

Kuwabara asked, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Yeah, let's move out already!" Yusuke shouted as he forced Kurama to stand up.

He explained, "I only realized this halfway up the mountain and I knew I was putting everyone at risk by then. The only thing I could do was make it up here at least."

"Dammit Kurama," Yusuke said, "if you end up paralyzed I'm going to hate myself."

* * *

They reached the end of the original cave they started in and Kurama could finally walk freely. "You can move again," Kuwabara said.

"Yes," Kurama replied, "I'm only in slight pain now. I'm sure by the time we reach the barrier I'll feel more like myself again." He examined himself and kept moving down the path.

* * *

Once they were outside of Koenma's office again, Kuwabara said, "You're totally okay now?"

"As I told you earlier," Kurama replied, "repeatedly, I'm alright."

"How can you get near death and then walk away saying you're fine?" Yusuke asked, "I mean, even after I beat Toguro I was in a slump for weeks."

He replied, "This wasn't the first time I was nearly immobilized forever, I assure you." Koenma's office doors slowly opened to reveal him sitting behind his desk, trying to look as stoic as ever.

"Did you get it?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke replied, "it's here, but that barrier nearly killed Kurama!"

Kuwabara threw him the crystal and said, "Yeah seriously, that crystal guy was weird and he was trying to kill Kurama the whole time."

"Don't throw this!" Koenma scolded, "Finally the world can get put back into balance." He pushed a button under his desk and it opened up to reveal the blue crystal floating above a blue light. The old one seemed dull and fragil. Once he pushed the new one on the floating light the old one shattered into nothing.

Yusuke asked, "That's it? You sent us mountain climbing just for that!?"

"Well I couldn't send any ogers up there now could I?" Koenma asked, "Thanks to you Spirit World will start in balance."

* * *

The End


End file.
